TTCriders

Last updated
TTCriders
Founded2010
FocusPublic Transit
Location
Area served
City of Toronto
Method
  • Advocacy
  • education
  • community engagement
Key people
  • Shelagh Pizey-Allen
    (executive director)
  • Suhail Barot, Ryan Lindsay (board co-chairs)
Website http://www.ttcriders.ca/

TTCriders is a grassroots, membership-based transit advocacy organization with a focus on better public transit service in Toronto. Its stated mission is "to build a TTC that works with and for transit riders". It was founded in 2010 by a coalition of organizations, including the Toronto Environmental Alliance, Social Planning Toronto, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, ACORN, and the Canadian Federation of Students. [1] The organization employs a combination of online campaigns, transit debates and workshops to encourage political action on local transit issues. Since October 2013, the group has lobbied the Ontario provincial government to provide increased and sustained funding for the TTC. [2]

Contents

Activities

Canvasser for TTCriders TTCriders canvasser.jpg
Canvasser for TTCriders

Transit Talks

On May 15, 2013, the group hosted Transit Talks, a discussion series that introduced riders to then-incoming TTC CEO, Andy Byford. [3]

Online campaigns

In May 2014, the group launched #TTCSardines, a social media campaign where users could submit pictures of themselves on crowded subways. [4] The campaign culminated with a march on Queen's Park, in which approximately 100 protestors wore silver headpieces resembling the head of a sardine. [5]

In January 2015, the group launched #grumpyrider, an online selfie campaign modeled on the viral success of Grumpy Cat. [6]

Political debates

On September 15, 2014, TTCriders partnered with the Ryerson Students Union to host a transit-focused mayoral debate between candidates Doug Ford, Olivia Chow and John Tory. Tory originally accepted but withdrew less than four hours before the debate was to start. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Transit Commission</span> Agency responsible for local public transit in Ontario, Canada

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers in the Greater Toronto Area, with numerous connections to systems serving its surrounding municipalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Tory</span> Canadian politician, 65th mayor of Toronto

John Howard Tory is a Canadian politician who has served as the 65th and current mayor of Toronto since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 4 Sheppard</span> Subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Line 4 Sheppard is the newest and shortest subway line of the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It opened on November 22, 2002, and has five stations along 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) of track, which is built without any open sections in the district of North York along Sheppard Avenue East between Yonge Street and Don Mills Road. All stations are wheelchair accessible and are decorated with unique public art. The Government of Ontario has announced plans to extend the line east to Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road in Scarborough to meet up with an extended Line 2 Bloor–Danforth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 2 Bloor–Danforth</span> Subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Line 2 Bloor–Danforth is a subway line in the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It has 31 stations and is 26.2 kilometres (16.3 mi) in length. It opened on February 26, 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 and again in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 1 Yonge–University</span> Subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Line 1 Yonge–University is a rapid transit line on the Toronto subway. It serves Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 38 stations and is 38.8 km (24.1 mi) in length, making it the longest line on the subway system. It opened as the "Yonge subway" in 1954 as Canada's first underground passenger rail line, and was extended multiple times between 1963 and 2017. Averaging over 790,000 riders per weekday, Line 1 is the busiest rapid transit line in Canada, and one of the busiest lines in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Giambrone</span>

Adam Giambrone is a Canadian transportation consultant and retired politician who served on Toronto City Council from 2003 to 2010, representing Ward 18 Davenport. Giambrone served as the chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from 2006 to 2010. Following his tenure on council, Giambrone now works in transportation consulting.

Howard Moscoe is a former city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, representing Ward 15 in the western part of Eglinton-Lawrence. Among the most prominent and longest-serving councillors in the city, he is also known for an outspokenness which caused controversy at times. Moscoe is a member of the New Democratic Party. On August 31, 2010, after 31 years as an elected municipal politician, Moscoe announced his retirement from city council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Stintz</span>

Karen Stintz is a former Canadian politician who represented Ward 16 Eglinton—Lawrence on Toronto City Council from 2003 to 2014 and was the chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from 2010 to 2014.

The Relief Line was a proposed rapid transit line for the Toronto subway system, intended to provide capacity relief to the Yonge segment of Line 1 and Bloor–Yonge station and extend subway service coverage in the city's east end. Several plans for an east–west downtown subway line date back to the early 20th century, most of which ran along Queen Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Miller (Canadian politician)</span> 63rd mayor of Toronto

David Raymond Miller is an American-Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 63rd mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010. Following his career in politics, Miller briefly returned to law before serving as president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) from 2013 to 2017, after which he began working as the director of international diplomacy at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transit City</span> Proposed Toronto public transit plan

Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced on 16 March 2007 by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Adam Giambrone. The plan called for the construction of seven new light rail lines along the streets of seven priority transit corridors, which would have eventually been integrated with existing rapid transit, streetcar, and bus routes. Other transit improvements outlined in the plan included upgrading and extending the Scarborough RT line, implementing new bus rapid transit lines, and improving frequency and timing of 21 key bus routes. The plan integrated public transportation objectives outlined in the City of Toronto Official Plan, the TTC Ridership Growth Strategy and Miller's 2006 election platform.

The Sheppard East LRT was a proposed light rail line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first announced as part of the Transit City proposal in 2007. The Sheppard East LRT as proposed was to be 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) long, travel along Sheppard Avenue from Don Mills subway station to east of Morningside Avenue, and be operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Toronto mayoral election</span>

The 2010 Toronto mayoral election was held on October 25, 2010, to elect a mayor of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The mayor's seat was open for the first time since the 2003 Toronto election due to the announcement by incumbent mayor David Miller that he would not seek a third term in office. The nomination period for the 2010 municipal election opened on January 4, 2010, and closed on September 10, 2010. The result of the election was a victory for former city councillor Rob Ford. He received 47% of the vote.

Sarah Jane Thomson, also known as Sarah Jane Whatmough-Thomson, is an entrepreneur who was publisher and CEO of the Women's Post and a former candidate for mayor of Toronto.

Ana Bailão is a Canadian politician who served as the deputy mayor of Toronto representing Toronto and East York from 2017 to 2022. She has also represented Ward 9 Davenport on the Toronto City Council from 2010 until 2022.

Vincent Crisanti is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent Ward 1 Etobicoke North on Toronto City Council following the 2022 municipal election. He previously represented a former ward by the same name from 2010 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Toronto mayoral election</span>

The 2014 Toronto Mayoral Election took place on October 27, 2014. Incumbent Mayor Rob Ford initially ran for re-election, but dropped out after being diagnosed with a tumour - instead running for city council in Ward 2. Registration of candidates began on January 2, 2014, and ended September 12, 2014, at 2 pm.

SmartTrack is a municipal proposal to enhance GO Transit rail service within Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It takes advantage of the province's existing GO Transit Regional Express Rail plans. SmartTrack has evolved since it was originally proposed by Toronto mayor John Tory as the centrepiece of his 2014 mayoral election campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Toronto mayoral election</span>

The 2022 Toronto mayoral election was held on October 24, 2022, to elect the mayor of Toronto. The election took place alongside the 2022 Toronto municipal election, which elected city councillors and school board trustees. John Tory was re-elected for a third term as mayor, defeating urbanist Gil Peñalosa and 29 other candidates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaal Myers</span> Jamaican-Canadian lawyer and politician

Jamaal Myers is a Canadian lawyer and politician who was elected to represent Ward 23 Scarborough North on Toronto City Council following the 2022 municipal election.

References

  1. "About Us". TTCriders.ca. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  2. "TTCriders union launches campaign for provincial funding". Yonge Street Media. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  3. "Transit Talk – By TTCriders". ttc.ca. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  4. "#TTCsardines campaign launched by transit advocacy group". 680news.com. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  5. "#TTCSardines: Frustrated commuters call for lower fares, better service". ctvnews.ca. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  6. Peat, Don (November 24, 2014). "Transit group urges grumpy TTC riders to take selfies". Toronto: Toronto Sun. The transit advocacy group TTCriders is encouraging people to send a selfie via Twitter with the hashtag #grumpyrider to elected officials the next time they feel "grumpy" while taking the TTC.
  7. Dale, Daniel (September 15, 2014). "TTC riders' group 'furious' after John Tory drops out of debate". Toronto: Toronto Star. An advocacy group for TTC riders is "furious" after mayoral election frontrunner John Tory dropped out of Monday's debate less than four hours before it was to take place.